


Wind Valley

by Kard



Category: Abide in the Wind, webtoons - Fandom
Genre: Disappearance, Doubt, Dragons, F/M, Nightmares, Romance, Some dark themes, Yandere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-23 13:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4878823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kard/pseuds/Kard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two mechanics leave town suddenly and never return.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. what the villagers know

:Spoiler Warning: story takes place between chapter 180 and the series epilogue 

A certain village felt slightly less busy today. Dozens of workers carrying bolts, wrenches and large slabs of metal were packing and planning for their next job. They left in a sort of peculiar quiet. None were upset about the "for sale" sign on the door of the factory where they once worked. Muted sympathetic voices echoed and quickly slipped away onto the street. No worker complained about losing their job. They were good people, or at least good enough to know that the factory had closed for an understandable reason.

This factory in Middle county, The Forte Workshop, was closing it's doors today. It's laid back but kindhearted owner, Roy Forte, was gone. His quiet funeral wasn't interrupted by rain or many guests. His quiet death by heart attack was unremarkable and painless. None of his distant relatives could travel or do anything but send tearful letters to the tiny village. The letters were read by his daughter, Reana Forte, who sent items from her fathers will to the senders. Oddly, she sent no letters in return.

In fact, none of these relatives heard from her again.

On the day of the funeral villages noticed a mere three figures standing beside Roys grave. Reana and her brother Ras spoke and hugged and comforted the other. People who passed by recognized Reana and leaned over the fence to tell her "I'm so sorry" and " I'm sure we'll see you even if we don't work together now". Roys daughter accepted these short condolences but spent the day sitting in front of the grave with her brother.

Strange rumors about the funeral spread through the village, different ones as the week wore on. Some said that Roy's ex-wife had appeared briefly on the day of the burial, only to leave without saying a word. The villagers would berate this woman, Luna, at their dinner tables that night. They knew that she was an affluent, rich scientist who had fled town for the sake of her career. "Those children deserved better" they said over dessert. 

Rumors by mid-week came from patrolmen who saw the third person at the funeral. They said that this person, Kairak, was an apprentice who worked at the factory with Reana. He had lived with Reana and Roy as a promising gunsmith. The men had seen him standing a distance away from the grave, giving the siblings time to reminisce. As night fell and Ras said his goodbyes the patrolmen had nodded in approval as the rumored couple left the cemetery hand in hand. Acquaintances hoped that Kairak and Reanas great craftsmanship skills would guarantee them a secure life

The rumors from bar hoppers by the end of the week were the most exciting. One man kept insisting that he'd seen Kairak smiling as he packed items into a carriage. People peeked at the front of the Forte household in confusion as the apprentice seemed to be abandoning his sponsor. Murmurs of disapproval were silenced as Reana walked up behind him. She held her tools and her suitcase and seemed tired. Kairak lifted her into the carriage but did not jump in after her. She left the door open and waited for him as he disappeared briefly into the house. The bar hoppers giggled about newly-weds and people they knew who had married young before leaving the innocent scene.

The next day people would have wondered why Reana left so soon in the dead of night. Would have, if not for the fires. Long after dark people throughout the village bolted awake to the sound of buildings collapsing. People who rushed outside saw the Forte house as a crumbled wreck. There were no flames, but the house was nothing more than a charred lump. The factory was burned to the ground as well and, again, no one reported seeing any fire. No other homes were even singed.

Far down the dirt road a carriage driver began his long trip through the forest near his village. He was tired but he hadn't been able to refuse the passengers he carried. It was easy to imagine that the couple in the back was on the run, or beginning an irresponsible adventure. He chuckled as even the moons light was lost in the darkness of the forest.


	2. Arrival

A final carriage, different from the village one, dropped off a strange couple who wanted to be left at the base of the Wind Valley Mountains. An enormous ring of rock that hid what explorers assumed to be a vast plain at the middle. The confused carriage driver helped unload what looked like items for a house rather than a camping trip. She left quickly, certain that the hermits would return to civilization by tomorrow.

Kairak and Reana watched the witness leave and before the sound of it's wheels had stopped a gleaming dragon stood where Kairak had been a moment before. Reana excitedly rolled out an enormous tarp and began rolling luggage onto it, the house sized creature did the same until a pile sat in the middle. Reana quickly gathered the edges of the tarp before pulling it around everything with a sting. Kairak leaned down and she got up on his back. He walked forward carefully and fitted one of his claws around the large bag. 

The mountains were climbed easily through flight and as the minutes went by Reana tried to imagine what their potential new home would look like. The air around the dragon became misty as they flew higher and higher and Reana looked down as she always did when she  
used her gliders or flew like this. She couldn't bring herself to enjoy the view now, too focused on the safe place hidden behind this wall of rock.

Kairaks claws dung into the pinnacle of the mountain for momentum and he flew downwards so fast it seemed like he was falling. Soon, impossibly soon, they landed on a cliff near the middle of the valley. Reana quickly jumped off Kairaks back and he threw the bag aside, before turning back into a tall man with slitted aqua eyes. Reana stood with him on the edge of the cliff and they anxiously surveyed the new place. Reanas blue eyes softened and she relaxed more the longer she looked.

The valley was empty. It was the emptiest valley anyone had ever seen, but then again, no one had seen it until now. It's mountains were too high for airships to climb over and the tips of them pierced the clouds. Patches of forest lingered around the edges of the valley and a vast hilly plain shot through with rocky cliffs dominated it's middle. There where no waterfalls in sight but Kairak could see a river far away.

This quick survey proved nothing but the two were happy all the same. There was no way to know if this place was perfectly safe, but neither doubted that they would try to settle here.

As night fell Reana lay alone under the stars. Kairak stood at the edge of the cliff checking the valley for potential threats. Reana could see tendrils of blue flame twisting around him as he tried to map out the valley in a single night. She knew that her life would be free of loneliness if she spent it with him but doubt crept in often. Had she made a mistake? A part of her grew cold as she thought of spending the rest of her days in hiding. While looking at the stars she soon covered the view with her hand to touch the glowing mark that stretched from her knuckles to her wrist. She would live for a long time because of this mark, as long as Kairak lived. Did she understand how long that meant when she confessed to the dragon? No. Could she accept this strange life for love alone? A part of her didn't know. Moments before her eyes closed the dragon joined her on the patch of blankets to watch her rest. She was too tired to greet him, and his eyes seemed to lull her to sleep.


	3. Private Room

In her sleep, Reana walked quickly through a temple. She tripped on the edges of the thick robe she wore. It was light pink, the same color as her work dress and jacket. Yet it was longer, it trailed to the ground and intricate patters slashed up it's sides. Her hair, once so neat and smooth, fell into her face like a mass of blond fur, spiky and wild looking. Confused about where she was Reana looked into a nearby mirror. The woman in the mirror had blueish crescents under her eyes from lack of sleep and her matted appearance contrasted with her luxurious clothing. Her robe was ripped and she was smiling. Reana touched the mirror gently with her fingertips, the woman was clearly her. She whipped her body around to see this unrecognizable place. The room she stood in was immaculate, with white floors, red curtains, and a comfy bed. Small paintings of the countryside sat on the edges of the walls. 

For some reason, when Reana tried to push the curtains aside her body twitched and she laughed quietly before pulling her hand away. Reana started breathing slowly in order to clam down. For some reason, this woman, this version of her, forced her to act hysterically when she attempted certain things. She decided to search for a way out. The immaculate room was connected to the white hall she had walked in from. Two smaller halls connected a large den full of things related to her favorite hobbies and to a small dining room with one chair. Reana explored the den first. Mechanical gear, tools, books, and blueprints littered the room and Reana threw them aside looking for clues about where she was. A part of her tried to calm down because this was only a dream but her hands kept searching anyway. There was only a single clue nailed to the door of the den. A sign that read: Private Room. Reana felt annoyance bubble up at the lack of clues and shut the door to the den. She stepped out of the den and looked up in exasperation. She squeaked then, suddenly, on her own violation and not by her dreaming hysteria. On the ceiling words had been carved in with curving slices : One Hour Per Day. 

The investigation of the den had revealed little. Reana decided to check the dining room next for a way out. Though this was only a dream the clean halls and cheery den full of her favorite things seemed sinister after seeing the scarred ceiling. She had peeked into the dining room before and approached the door carefully. It sat half open and she could see a single silver chair. She pushed the door open and looked in surprise at the huge cathedral style window covered the rooms front wall. Pleased, she went to see where she was and what was outside. From this distance the window shined a muted white and lit the room in that same shade. She walked closer and still saw nothing. She walked up to the window and still saw nothing. The glass was colored a pleasant gleaming white and she could not see the outside through it. Frustrated, Reana slapped her hand against the white vista.

After making sure that the glass was defiantly too solid to break Reana decided to search the dining room and finally turned around to see what it looked like. There was nothing but the chair and a small silver table. She walked up to it and in the cavernous room it seemed so much smaller. The metal of the chair was arranged into swirling pattern and it's spindly legs ended in circular curls. A part of Reana wanted to think that this was just a storage room with a chair in it but it was too formal looking. Reana decided to leave. There was clearly nothing in the dining room.

Reana felt both tried and confused about being tired in a dream. She collapsed on the comfy bed in the room with the paintings and waited for this dream to be over. The minutes ticked by and Reana realized that she could not sleep. She sighed and prepared to check what was at the end of the white hall she had arrived from.

The white hall was wide and ended with a simple pair of double doors. They had no locks or even keyholes. Feeling suddenly confident Reana easily pushed the doors open. She was definitely in a temple. The halls tall walls stretched far from where she stood. This place was different form her rooms. It looked like the walls were smeared with black in the soft light and it's tapestries hung in pieces. Reana walked quickly down to the left, where she could feel a wind blowing.

The hallway grew lighter and lighter so Reana quickened her steps. She burst out into a circular hall full of bright light and finally realized that she was in a nightmare


	4. Monster Infested Forest

In the waking world Kairak watched Reana sleep. For hours the cliff had been silent as Reana seemingly rested in peace. Kairaks expression changed slightly as he remembered something that had to be done. He was gone in a moment and headed to a section of forest near the edge of the valley. The valley was almost perfect, almost perfectly safe and quiet, but this one patch of land contained Mirage Beasts. The forest infested with them was no different from any other. Only hunting cries echoing in the distance proved that fearful monsters lived inside. Some of the beasts appeared in the edge of Kairaks vision. Their dozens of unblinking yellow eyes, set in straight rows along their black bodies, were easily visible in the dark. Long, snakelike bodies glided through the trees and moved with intense speed on the ground. Most terrifyingly of all when one opened it mouth it's head seemed to split because of the sheer length of it's teeth.

The forest looked dense and dark at night but it would be a pleasant place to eat and relax in the daytime. Kairak nodded in approval. The Beasts must of gathered here because of the river nearby. He decided to suggest to Reana that they build their home here tomorrow. With no place better to grow food nearby the Beasts became the only thing in the way of the couple settling in Kairaks mind. 

He took flight towards the forest.

Dragons are creatures of healing and purification. Their powers are not connected to this world or any other. Their only purpose is said to be creation, to make worlds habitable for other species. Legends of them forgive the emotionless behavior of dragons since their purpose was so great. Some sought to take advantage of dragons, and would attempt to use or corrupt their source of power. This source, called a Dragon Pearl, was highly praised as the most powerful object in the world. These items were entrusted to people who acted as the dragons partner during their stay in this world. The dragons cared for nothing and no one and yet the holders of their Pearls, people given the title Riyenas, could control them slightly. By holding their life and strength these manipulative partners had the dragons make them weapons and protect them, in order to benefit their own kind. This meant nothing to the dragons, since they simply severed their relationships with humans when they left the planet. It mattered little to the humans as well. Some despaired as power disappeared form the world with the dragons, but few actually mourned losing them. With the dragons long gone from this world it's people knew that they had always been right. The relationship between humans and dragons would never change. Dragons were nothing but dispassionate, beautiful dolls with enviable power after all.

The dragon skulking along the edges of the forest looked every inch like those benevolent beings. It's white body gleamed with subtle color in the dark and it's body was devoid of any large claws or fangs. When he changed into a man again the night suddenly felt quiet.

He walked into the forest and immediately predators gathered around the new prey. Four approached at breakneck spreed only to stop and squabble over who would get the kill. One bit another and it's screech grated on every ear within a mile. A thick snake pushed the others aside and sprang forward

That night the forest was filled with unearthly screeches and laughter.


	5. Awake

Reana was not the type to wake up afraid. Her dream was already fading away from her mind when she woke up. She knew the dream had been something strange, because she was suddenly awake in complete darkness. Morning wasn't even close. She turned over to see Kairak, intending to ask if she had panicked in her sleep, but he wasn't there. Reana sat up abruptly, unused to being alone when she slept. In fact it was even odd for her to wake up without his arms around her. After throwing a blanket over her shoulders she used the dragon pearl to scan her surroundings, looking for the dragon. 

He was very far away at the very edge of the valley and Reana was slightly put out about being left alone on a random hilltop. She decided to sit and wait for him to notice that she was awake.

The edge of the valley was deathly quiet and without any starlight Kairak was just another blackness under the trees. Only the most discerning eyes could have spotted the mounds of snake flesh around him, but anyone within a mile would have caught the smell and ran. This was why the forest was so unnaturally quiet. The snakes had populated every inch of the forest and now that they were all dead the stench of blood forced other animals to leave on instinct. Across the valley predators and other potential annoyances were quickly migrating away from the valley.

Kairak sensed that Reana was awake and left the forest to tell her about the ideal house building spot he had found. In his human form he traveled swiftly over ground, simply jumping over obstacles. Reana came into his sight sitting on the hilltop and he greeted her. He asked her why she was not asleep and she brushed him off, asking if he had found any problems in the valley. He assured her there were none and told her about the place by the river. 

They walked back over to the pile of blankets and lay there talking about what their home might look like for a while. 

Reana felt her excitement grow about life in the valley. Strange circumstances or no she knew now that she would not be the only one happy. Her worries about Kairaks lack of emotion for her had faded long ago, but she wanted him to enjoy and like other things as well. Seeing him just as happy about creating a home as she was made her smile.

Kairak had felt intense relief after Reana agreed to live somewhere away from humans with him. The idea of dragon knights hunting them down annoyed him, and he hadn't been interested in fighting humans from the start. Even his need for her attention had influenced his asking her for the move. The idea of flying around to get things life in the valley required was fine, sharing his wife with humans constantly was not. He wondered if she'd ask to travel more now, since they had a safe place to return too, and smiled back.

The two were still wide awake and even though Reana knew she should rest she decided to tease her husband a little instead. She pulled his face close but simply wrapped her arms around him. He rolled her over a little eagerly until he was looking down at her, but she just pulled him down and ran her fingers across his jaw. She then tried to sleep while holding him. Unhappy with this he moved his larger body on top of her, crushing her. She murmured in indignation as he refused to move. She kissed him on the cheek and he let up slightly, settling his arms around her waist instead. After groggily shifting onto his chest she drifted off again with his fingers running through her hair.


	6. Lifestyle Changes

After waking up Reana wanted to plan out the lifestyle she would want to live in the valley. Her hobbies would be important from now on, since even meeting people would require traveling. Despite her efforts to focus her mind wandered as she walked with Kairak, since they had lapsed into comfortable silence on the way. This valley was beautiful, but she knew boredom would be her enemy if she had no work to do. Her husband could endlessly distract her of course, but the idea of drowning in intense love made her feel strange. Reana had known for a while that she and Kairak were more dependent on each other than the average couple. When she was once confronted with dragon knights searching for Kairak, so they could use him like a tool, she had been shocked by her own anger. A part of her sometimes wondered if their deaths would have bothered her at all, if a fight had actually broken out.

She sighed and let positive thoughts fill her head. Her book of notes outlined which city had the tools she would need to build a space for working on air gliders and other mechanical creations. She wondered if the place Kairak had found would be large enough for her to have a garage with flight doors or something like a cliff dock where she could lift off from. The latter would be better since Kairak could use the dock as a landing pad as well. How could the house they would build withstand the shockwaves from Kairaks transformations in the first place? Since it was only the two of them living in this potential house indefinitely she imagined the actual living space would be small and thought that much of the day would be spent in the workshop. She didn't think the two spaces should be connected so they had a place to relax and spend time together. After thinking up these basics she asked Kairak what he thought.

He said that his ideas could wait until she saw the location, but assured her he did have his own ideas. Their long walk had finally brought them to the thick forest Kairak had cleared out and Reana was stunned by the sheer size of each tree. Kairak sheepishly admitted that he had missed the wilderness after spending 300 years in a forest as a child and asked Reana if she wanted to explore it with him. She liked the idea and wondered if she could add anything from it to the house, if he liked the outdoors that much.

They wandered under the dappled canopy and Kairak succeeded in surprising Reana by revealing that the the spot they were headed to was inside the forest. It was in a flat, green clearing with a large rocky ledge sticking out out the ground at the southern edge and a river snaking though the west side. He said there was no need to build a dock because of the ledge was large enough to act as one. Reana observed that there was more than enough room for two buildings and quickly agreed to building their home here. Kairak rushed into the forest and flew off immediately to get the items that were left behind. Once again Reana was overjoyed about their shared excitement, but tried not to let it show on her face, since there was so much work to do.

When Kairak returned with all of the items there was a mess in their vast new yard. The two had organized everything into piles but the size of the workload was now clear. If both parties had not possessed unnatural powers the building would have been impossible. Fortunately the Fortes were a strange couple intent on living in this strange location.

 

(Kard: why did I write a whole chapter on houses??)


	7. Crashing Down

Making two buildings was no small task, but it was far from the most troublesome one. In order to leave the valley Kairak and Reana knew they had to fly to get wood and other such things. Reana considered waiting until the dragon knights, who were still on alert, thought she was dead. The knights were persistent about using her strength and Kairaks to create new dragon artifacts for their fighters. She had long since tired of being spied on and had little patience for them, Kairak even less so. It seemed so ridiculous that their patrolling prevented simple errands. The couple waited a few days before impatience got to Reana and she insisted on getting started as soon as possible. She ended up dithering some more though, since leaving the safe valley could end up causing some conflict. 

Kairak called a storm to cover their tracks. It was a quick and uncomfortable solution. Under driving rain, in cloaks that covered them from head to toe they arrived in a mountainous industrial town to place their supply orders. They had to stay for a couple of days in a local hotel but Kairak refused to stop the storm during their stay in case any highly ranked knights climbed the mountain. The serving police and soldiers in town were not an issue. Only knights could track them with their dragon artifacts. 

After days of rainfall an annoyed shopkeep welcomed two customers into his hardware warehouse. His mustache had drooped considerably under the rainfall but he acted as if it were business as usual in the empty store. He sighed. It was raining so hard that no customers had come in for days, except a persistent husband and wife with a huge order. He ran up their tab and told them they could spend all the time they needed in his garage loading up their truck. The weather was terrible, it would be a shame if all the electrical material were ruined. The two left and he huffed indignantly, they hadn't even shown him their faces despite doing business with him for days. How suspicious.

The rain stopped momentarily as Kairak loaded everything onto his back. Reana leapt on quickly and they flew back towards the valley without being spotted by a single pursuer. Reana was unhappy about not being able to tour the city but both were relieved about getting everything they needed in one trip. With the most troublesome task done they landed in the forest and the rain was replaced with sunshine.

Blue tendrils of flame cut, lifted and shaped materials from a huge ugly pile of hardware in the middle of the clearing. The tornado of activity did not cease for weeks until two serviceable buildings stood a short distance from the other. The workshop was a simple building that looked like a barn and the house with a sloped roof looked a little small beside it. Reana investigated the house first and it was completely serviceable, but barren. No colors but wood colors, tools but no comforts. Perhaps she should have helped Kairak build the house, instead of focusing on the workshop with her fires. The workshop was perfect in her opinion. The smelting tools were shining and storage sat all along the walls in the form of racks and cabinets. The upper floor had some comforts and a bed in case she needed to work there overnight. Kairak wondered if Reana planned to live in this building while keeping him in the other. He immediately decided to destroy the house.

Reana was just asking Kairak what space he wanted in the workshop and noticed that he didn't respond. She turned around and he was gone. She walked out the door looking from him and saw some blue fire near the house. Happy that he was making changes she decided to help so their actual home was built by the two of them. *SMASH*. Maybe it needed big renovations? Kairak disappeared behind the house. She called after him. *SMASH*. She yelled after him this time and gave chase as the house crumbled.

One kerfuffle later Reana remembered how troublesome her (mostly) content and kind husband was.


	8. Stasis I

Reana woke up drowsy. Kairak, who did not sleep, was still lying down and looking at her as she rose up for another leisurely day. She turned around to see him suddenly dressed for the day a moment later, sighed, and went to the bedrooms powder room to get ready in a slower fashion. She was still so tired. Their cosy cabin house was worth the effort, but did working with dragon fire have to make her so tired? Feeling satisfied and lethargic, she finished getting ready. 

Kairak was ready to create a barrier around the valley. After finishing all the dangerous work that involved hiding from dragon knights he had traveled with Reana along the edges of the mountains. He liked enjoying the view with her but also checked for weaknesses in the natural barrier during the trip. To most anyone it would look completely secure. The mountains themselves were nigh unpassable and there was no way anything could get through the forest before Kairak and Reana flew off. This was still not safe enough in the dragons opinion.

Reana thought the barrier was a wholly unnecessary, but harmless idea. When it went up it would needlessly put even the Capitals barrier to shame, but it would also prevent Kairak from attacking passing airships. It would also stop him from tracking boats on the rivers that flowed into the valley or collapsing the beautiful underground caverns because they connect to unknown places. She walked to their workshop across from the house, kissed Kairak, and told him to come back soon.

Back in the house, Reana nursed a cup of coffee at the kitchen table impatiently. She hadn't been able to finish her project for today because the shop was shaking. In fact, the house was shaking too and she held her cup with white knuckles since it threatened to jump off the table. After the quaking stopped her relief was palatable. She walked outside again and her annoyance faded away. The barrier shone for a moment, a shining translucent color, and it made her feel like she was underneath a lake. The clouds were disturbed in the next moment, as if rain were falling on that lake and the barrier dissapeared.

Kairak appeared on the edge of the valley and bragged to Reana about how excellent his barrier was at the kitchen table. He said that all their work had payed off and they could stay here for thousands of years without issue. Reanas eyes popped a little at that but she let him keep talking. He seemed so excited and she loved how his eyes lit up with happiness. Really lit up. When was the last time she had seen them like that? Sunset was soon, the kitchen was a bit dark but his eyes cut through the shadows. Their slitted pupils had stopped moving naturally and his posture slowly became stiff and unmoving. A happy voice still rang out over the kitchen as Reana unsuspectingly washed the coffee out of the cup she had held tight while he was talking. It was bitter and cold now. She had forgotten to drink it.

Nighttime hit suddenly. Kairak had talked her ear off about the colorful caverns under the valley and they had made plans to go until the sun went down. They spiraled downward. One was navy blue like the night, one was another color and another was another color. They had so many plans. They were going to be so busy in the valley they would have no time to travel anywhere else. She reached for a coffee cup that was no longer there. 

Reana stood up. Things were quiet now. The two had moved closer to each other at some point. Moonlight cut through every window in the house and their two figures were illuminated, surrounded by darkness. Low murmurs echoed in their room and the two faced each other in bed. A lazy kiss goodnight dragged on for longer and longer. Ragged breaths faded in and out. Reana twitched when Kairak brought her hand to his face and nuzzled it. His eyes were very bright tonight.


	9. Stasis II

The caves were very beautiful. It was almost unbelievable that the entrance, which was so small and inconspicuous, grew into a yawning cavern. The first level was simple pale sandstone. Reana enjoyed the coolness of it, since the sun was always blazing outside lately. She had wanted to just enjoy exploring with Kairak but felt the need to discuss some things. She was still suspicious of the dragon knights, after all. It was certain that the knights would stop their intensive search or already had, but they would never let down their guard. Kairak suggested erasing the knights memories. It would take time but eventually it would be like the knights had never discovered him. 

Reana considered this. Currently, the knights were busy questioning a terrorist named Eren. The fiend had manipulated good people and could transform them into horrible monsters or puppets by using grief, anger and other negative emotions. He was a monster, the knights should be focusing on him because he was a real threat while she and Kairak were not. She almost snorted, the idea of the knights chasing her down like she was as bad as the terrorist made her feel a little sick. Kairak had done nothing to provoke them, and Reana had once offered to help. She felt foolish, they had only wanted her to use Kairak to create more destructive weapons. 

She said no. The knights memories couldn't be erased. No matter how badly they had been treated. If more victims were turned by Eren the knights may relent and properly ask for her and Kairak to help with turning them back. She hated the knights, but if they failed to convince Eren it was necessary for them to step in. She looked at Kairak. Her ulterior motive didn't seem to be clear to him. Eren could infect Kairak or try to hurt him, and it was possible that he wouldn't be easy to avoid like the knights. Keeping assisting the knights as an emergency option was the lesser of two evils. She would never let him come for Kairak. Letting the victims stay sick was unacceptable as well. She knew these worries were pointless. Eren had been in custody for a while now, he could even be on death row.

Her dragon seemed dissapointed. Reana wanted to explain but hesitated. She said they could assist from a distance if he didn't like the idea. Sending a tornado Erens way if he escaped would be simple enough. His expression didn't change and she sighed. After grabbing his hand she tried to lighten the mood by touring the caves more while pulling him along. Their steps echoed, one more quietly than the other, as the cave darkened. Kairak stopped Reana from taking another step forward and lit the area. She gasped. A huge circular rift was right in front of her. Little stones glittered around its rim. 

He picked her up and walked towards the rift. After he jumped down her lungs froze, and her heartbeat was audible as they fell downward. Even when they hit the ground with a gentle thud she couldn't bring herself to let go or stand up. Soon the natural well was lit by fire. Her eyes brightened as the stones in the well seemed to light up individually. Still a little unsteady, she wrapped her arms around his waist. She told him to turn off the blazing flame and the pit they stood in was dark in a moment. Reana slowly filled the bottom of the pit with small glowing orbs of flame. The well lit up again in a more subtle way. The sandy ground glowed gently and she pulled him down onto it so they could appreciate the view together.

He had always been very pale and Reana laughed because he looked kind of shiny in the the greenish light. He said that her skin was tinted a little blue and he hadn't said anything, so it was mean that she was laughing. She laughed again on purpose and his face pinched a bit. She kissed him on the cheek and told him to enjoy the view. Kairak leaned his head against hers and Reana decided that his inhuman behavior yesterday was just her imagination.

She had not noticed that spring had passed and become summer since they had last left the valley.


	10. A Lack of Dragons

It was a very simple mistake that caused Reana to notice the passage of time. She had been thinking about the interrogation of Eren, the terrorist imprisoned by dragon knights. Her intent was to find out if he was dead or not. Knowing that Kairak would need some convincing later if the knights could not bring him down, and they needed to step in. She snuck out of the valley with nothing but good intentions. The only issue was time. She would need at least a day to climb out of the valley with her powers, and even that was with good weather. With a guilty heart she had mulled over what possible fools errand could distract her husband for a day and a half. Her simple conclusion was beyond ridiculous, but she was certain that it would work.

She told Kairak that she lacked certain materials for an automatic saw she was building. As she talked the liar herself was surprised at how convincing she sounded. She really wanted to do projects on her own, and create just as easily as she once could in her former fully staffed factory. It was only natural that she would need more hardy tools when working alone. There were a few things she wanted to surprise him with so asking for help would be disappointing and so on and so forth.

Kairak, entirely convinced, flew off to arctic waters to find an extremely hard breed of sea crystal. The true brilliance of Reanas lie was its grain of truth. She really was excited about using that saw. After his wingbeats faded into the distance she felt a bit guilty, maybe he would have thought investigating Eren was important too? She shook her head, Kairak would be against any involvement with the Dragon knights unless there was a real emergency. After starting her ascent up the mountain she stopped worrying so much and devised different ways to propel herself up the mountain faster. 

It was a strikingly beautiful day after all, almost to hot and sunny to be a spring day. The mountain peaks were coated in bud-dotted creepers and she could see for miles. Not a single puff of mist blocked her view. She could clearly see the four nearest villages popping out of the greenery below. The nearest one, a tiny logging village, was her destination and their newspaper stand was her goal. After fluttering down to the ground she realized it had only taken half a day for her to reach the village. Pleased, she walked towards a tiny newsstand which was manned by a bored journalist. 

Mr Ralton looked up from his notes and continued selling papers. A Lady in pink stood out in the crowd today. Usually such gear would not be fashionable, since Earthside women preferred ruffles and bolder colors. However, it was also easy to tell that she was from out of town. Not a single person in the queue greeted her and everyone knew everyone in this town. Her odd fashion and the fact that she was alone made the tight knit group gravitate away from her. When it was finally her turn he took off his hat and asked her if she had also been relocated to the sticks for unruly behavior. The other people in the queue laughed, they thought it was a riot that a city boy was stuck with them for a while. The Lady just looked confused. Ralton blanched, he had been trying to make her more comfortable. He sighed and simply handed her a copy. 

She walked off a ways and flipped the paper open. Ralton watched in shock as her face went cold and she covered her mouth in shock. He rushed over, expecting to see a thief around the corner but she was just standing stock still looking at the paper. There was something serious about her reaction that he couldn't put his finger on. He walked closer and noticed that she didn't even notice that he was trying to get her attention. In a moment she was blocked from his sight with a gust of wind. His green hair had flopped over his face. His pushed it out of the way intending to comfort her but she was truly literally gone and nowhere to be found.

Reana stared in shock at the paper. It must have been a misprint. So many flowers were blooming in spring. Eren had been dead for months. He had revealed significant information about his existence as a monster. A dragon had made him through negligence. It was summer. Summer. Four months had gone by in what had felt like a week or so. Reana tried to calm down and noticed eight holes in the paper where her fingers had torn through. Rahutanoks. A dragon named Rahutanoks had destroyed himself and his strength which remained as an undying thing had been formed into two beings. One had been made into a true dragon by a dragoness named Mu-nyak and lacked nothing in strength since its creation was natural. Eren, on the other hand, was just a mass of negative power which fed off of humans and so took on their form. His final confession, finally translated and revealed to the public showed off the monsters horrid sarcasm. If Mu-nyak had chosen to make two children out of the power of Rahutanoks there would have been no suffering. The two new dragons and the dragoness would have simply left the planet after the former Prince Reihart executed her former Riyenas, King Pahel. She could have destroyed him without effort as well, but had not bothered. He had laughed in his final moments. He had greatly enjoyed his spree of human suffering.

Rage. People were enraged. Mu-nyak was not benevolent. Dragons were not benevolent. How could she leave power to become corrupt just because her choice was to create one child. Reana flipped page after page of the special edition. Dragons were being left behind, in a way. People refused to worship them any longer and the new democracy within the kingdom supported this. Reana sighed. This was a good thing, it must mean that the dragon knights think Kairak had left the planet. She was distracted from her panic for a moment with the good news. If the world renounced dragons, she and Kairak could live unhunted in peace. 

Her discomfort returned in a more muted way. She had lost four months of time and she had no way of finding out if her husband had kept her in the valley on purpose. Furthermore, Kairaks relation to Eren through a women she had only met once confused her. The woman, Mu-nyak, had felt no love for her son. Only a desperation to leave the planet. It felt odd to owe her for Kairak's existence, or to be grateful to her for it to this day. The dragoness had been an unpleasant character, and her leaving Eren to fester only confirmed this, but both Eren and Mu-nyak were gone now, so Reana pushed them from her mind.

Her dragon would probably be returning now, since he could sense when she was upset through the dragon pearl. She loved him so much but it hurt to think that he didn't trust her. His massive need to be with her most of the time never bothered her (when it should) but this did. If he had just asked for in extended honeymoon in the valley together she would have said yes, but a sinking feeling told her that the extension would not be just four months long. Her nightmare, or snippets of it, tried to shove themselves into the front of her mind. A temple standing on nothing in a storm of terrible weather. Constant flashes of lightning. A black sky. Smoke twirling upward as fire rages below. Her stumbling, bedraggled self looking at Kairak in shock. Blood. A serene smile. She was able to push these images away with little effort. Her heart slowly settled. Even before he arrived she didn't need convincing. The happy life she had been living was real, even if her perception of time had been rudely skewed. She took a deep breath.

Kairak landed on the ground behind her. He didn't say anything and neither did Reana. The silence became oppressive. Kairak asked Reana if she wanted a life with him and she said yes. She felt that no more words were necessary on that topic. He tried to continue and she stopped him. Reana asked Kairak if he wanted to build a life with her and he said yes, not noticing the added word in her mirrored sentence. They walked a little hesitantly towards each other and Reana hugged him first. Kairak started to ask for forgiveness but she stopped him and told him that he had already earned it by agreeing to her request. Kairak was long past being confused and simply asked what, exactly, he had agreed to. Reana said nothing. He repeated his question.

Reana continued hugging him and did not raise her head. 

Authors note:

So long. Such a long chapter. Grammar is meh. I don't think I messed with Kairak's character by having him learn to care about Reana in a more human way and the dragon way. The raws clearly show him very relaxed in the last chapter. His personality will never change, per say, but I like the idea of Reana and Kairak bending to make each other comfortable.

Re-read chapter 3 for reference if needed

Also: So what do you think Reana had him agree to huhuhuh


	11. Nuptias

A small clock ticked in the kitchen. The sound of it had once been so unnoticeable under the swell of voices and actions that usually dominated the space. It was so loud now that it drowned out the sounds of spring outside. Maybe the fact that the windows were shut along with the quiet resulted in one sound dominating the air. Kairak was sitting, waiting beside Reana at the kitchen table. Instead of dramatically facing each other on the tables opposing sides the two were seated beside each other, facing forward and not looking at the other. Kairak still did not know what Reana intended to talk about. He still believed some sort of punishment was in order since she disliked staying in the valley all the time and he had tried to relax her into staying anyway. Feeling very much in trouble, his smaller downward facing horns had popped out a while ago.

Reana had intended to sit on the other side of the table beside Kairak so they were facing the windows and could see the calming image of summer outside. However, in her nervousness she had gestured to the wrong side. They were now facing a blank wall. She was unsure of how to approach her topic and all of her carefully planned and convincing speeches were just gone. She was sure that even stalling for another day or so would not give her enough time to write them down. Her empty mind struggled towards a new plan of action. To her right side there was a screen door that led outside. If she just got up and walked in that direction she could invite Kairak outside for no serious conversation at all, possibly for another walk in the caves. To her left was Kairak, who seemed very tense. Reana calmed down. He just needed to know that she wasn't mad at him before they talked.

She started off by mentioning that their first wedding anniversary had come and gone. There was even a short congratulatory letter from her brother, Ras, sitting in another room. Reana started reminiscing happily, thinking that this was a great way to put them both at ease. As she talked her memories of the ceremony became as clear as if they had just held it yesterday, and a part of her thought that the memory would always be this clear. Her face felt a little red now and Kairak turned to look at her, seemingly a bit more comfortable. 

Reanas memories took her away for more than a moment. She saw her closest friends, Yuni and Mara, looking at her in shock as they questioned her thoroughly about why she was marrying so soon after her coming of age ceremony and if she was really ready for commitment. They had rushed over to Kairak as well, grabbing his arms and asking if such a handsome guy would really stay loyal when men older than him fled at the very idea. Kairak looked so much younger in these memories, just another boy with a really pretty face, who was no taller than her. She even remembered that he looked at her while he was being interrogated, hoping that she wouldn't doubt him. 

Work had stopped temporarily in the factory and people were walking up to Reana and her father Roy, inviting themselves to the wedding in the way that only small village peoples normally do. Roy had stood above the fray of rumors. Surely one of the village beauties would regret not marrying up in society, as her mother had? Kairak is a foreigner with no family. It's odd that he doesn't get along with people, don't you think? Roy refused to listen to any of these comments and seemed to be the only person who trusted Reanas judgement automatically, which had meant the world to her. 

Yuni and Mara both soon relented with their suspicion and could not stop themselves from being happy for Reana. They shooed Kairak away though, since they had nosily insisted on helping Reana find a dress. Time before the ceremony had gone by in a blur, mostly because it was not a high end wedding anyway. There were only a few large temples within a decent distance from the factory. Reanas village only had one small one where people placed stone piles to make wishes. She and Kairak had wished for each others happiness there once, and she would not have the wedding anywhere else. He was even shorter then. Her memories of his first month with her were generally funny. He hadn't figured out how to use cutlery, but he did know how to make her feel cared about, even then. 

Her friends and workers were shocked once more as the couple insisted on having the ceremony in the very tiny local temple. Roy had breathed a silent sigh of relief, since temples were very expensive. The villagers all shrugged their shoulders and helped Roy make the place presentable. All of the wishing stones were carefully moved away. All the guests still insisted on coming, so every window in the temple was thrown open so the overflow of people could peer in and the dancing was set to happen outside. Both Ras and Reanas mother were called and only Ras responded and in fact traveled from the capital city to the event.

Reana had felt a profound sense of guilt as her brother appeared on short notice to support her. She pulled Kairak aside and told him something harder to admit than the topic she wanted to broach today. Ras and Roy deserved to know that Kairak was a dragon, and they deserved to visit even when she moved away. He asked her if they would be okay with her living with a dragon, since he was dangerous, and she trusted that they wouldn't be afraid. Her trust was rewarded and Roy supported their decision to go into hiding, on the condition that Reana sent letters and returned sometimes.

She had told her family everything. Her desire to marry had been fueled by love. If Kairak could lay claim on her with the dragon pearl than she could certainly exchange rings with him. Roy had laughed. Only Reana would think that a relationship bound through an object of ultimate power was not emotionally satisfying enough. When she revealed that Kairak had not been the one to propose they were both very proud of her. Ras told Kairak that human ceremonies had everything to do with love, unlike how dragon ones were often about power, so he should feel lucky that Reana felt the need to show that she cared. Kairak had looked at Ras like he was the smartest most benevolent man on earth.

She giggled. Both Roy and Ras had told her stories about what they did just before the ceremony.

On the day Roy entered the temple and spotted Kairak. He was much bigger now, and some guests at the wedding marveled over his shocking growth spurt. He towered over most people attending. The groom was dressed in a simple tux without a tie since he had suddenly outgrown the more formal, traditional outfit Roy had found for him. His hair had to be tied back with a bandage since it now reached his waist and was even darker than it used to be. Roy looked up uneasily at his son-in-law, who was just standing at the altar instead of mingling with anyone. Ras apologized briefly, since he had unintentionally made it sound like human ceremonies were very strict when Kairak inquired about them. Roy had to resign himself to distracting guests from going to see the groom as he was busy with his sentinel-like altar guard duty.

Ras, on the other hand, was helping the bride that day. Or just talking to her before slipping off to solve some problems, more accurately. He had greeted a blushing Reana and dashed off. Later she would never hear the end of it from Ras. He had run drunkards back into their homes, he had stopped people from pilfering food, he had hired a proper band of musicians and kept the banjo players in their seats. The post wedding letter from him describing these things was the best any sister could hope for. 

During the actual ceremony she had to remember how to breathe. Her dress was a plain one. Her shoulders were bare and the only changes to her hair were a braid that pulled the hair away from her face and some flowers added into that braid. The dress dragged onto the floor and she had picked it up a little as the draping material moved around on its own accord. When she turned the unintentional train let the dress sit elegantly on the altar step as she faced Kairak. They only spoke two words each while staring unabashedly at each other as the priest spoke. The hall burst with noise after a chaste kiss and since Ras had unwittingly given Kairak strict rules when they weren't dancing together he carried her around until they crossed the threshold of her fathers house.

In the present Kairak enjoyed seeing Reana happily reminisce and assumed this meant that she was not angry with him. He told her that he had loved the human ceremony as well and his horns finally disappeared as he looked at her. Truly, he thought nothing could surprise him from this point. If he had known such ceremonies were so important he would have led Reana to the nearest temple right after meeting her. Just when he thought he had a good understanding of his wife she had surprised him. How on earth did a discussion about this relate to her comment about starting a life with him. He was very curious.

Reana, who was far too relaxed after chatting and slowly coaxing sentences out of Kairak immediately addressed her real problem. Someday, a world where she only has Kairak will exist. Everyone else on the planet besides Kairak and herself were mortal. No matter how many letters she sent Yuni or Mara she could never visit them without a disguise twenty years from now. Someday, everyone else she knew will be gone and she'll never have her friends and family supporting her again. Reana went on to say that she knew she would make new friends, but they would never be as close to her as her first, since she would stop seeing them as they aged. 

Ras was the only remaining family who knew where she was and what she was now. Her mother, Luna, cared little for her and could not be approached. Reana felt loss even though neither of them were gone since she knew it was only a matter of time. Kairak had his arms around her. He asked her something very serious as well. He asked if he was enough for her. Reana said yes, and that was exactly why she asked him to start a life with her. She was just insecure about there being no progress to starting that life after more than a year.

Kairak was shocked. He immediately pestered Reana with questions as he did not understand what she was saying. They had found a home. Places to explore, places to relax, they were in love. The only way these things could possibly not qualify as a life for her was if she lied to him and he was not enough for her. Kairak felt cold. The temperature in the room started to drop. He said he was sorry for not giving her what she wanted. He said it was too late when she met him though, even if he wasn't enough there was no getting rid of him.

Reana, who had prepared herself and couldn't hear him mumbling though her focus, slowly and steadily finally got to the point. She asked Kairak why she was not pregnant after over a year. She was looking down and felt very embarrassed and started mumbling right after her moment of clarity. No response. Reana looked up to see Kairak completely frozen. The room was very cold for some reason. He moved a bit and the cold was gone as if she had imagined it. Her rambling became easier to understand. She had thought it was possible because he hadn't said it wasn't before they married but she also hadn't had the courage to ask if it was possible. She still wanted that feeling of family even if she didn't age and it had nothing to do with being lonely or bored. She just didn't want to spend eternity missing having family around.

They both lapsed into silence. Kairak stood up and Reana did as well. He said he could explain later and they both walked outside to get some air.

Notes:

I tried to be funny, for some reason. I hope it worked.

grammar check later.


	12. Extra: Sibilant Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Takes place during the months that Reana spent with Kairak while influenced to forget the passage of time*

Reana headed to her workshop on an unusually windy day. There was only a light breeze in the valley of course but she could see the fearsome gusts beating against the barrier high in the sky. She stood outside her door for a moment, watching an array of blueish lights appear and disappear along the clear surface with each hit. How pretty. While humming a slow tune at odds with the sun outside and the wind in the real outside she set up her shop and prepped her new glider. She glanced over to her husbands section of the workshop. His back was to her for only a moment before he turned around to look back at her. She greeted him. He asked her if she would like to see something he created later tonight, she said yes and walked over. Kairaks position changed until his large frame blocked whatever he was working on. 

Reana felt distantly confused. Usually he would show off his strange draconic creations. Floating lanterns, the barrier, tools, weapons and surprisingly useful knickknacks had all wowed her at one point and time so far. She told him she was going flying and stood at the open double doors for about a minute. With a frown, she realized that Kairak did not intend to join her on her flight. Her eyes wandered back to his section sneakily as he leaned over whatever he was working on, and decided to insist that he flew with her. He heard her walk closer and his long hair landed on one of his tool buckets in his haste to block her from seeing the item.

Kairak was lured away after receiving an invitation for a date. Reana had planned to ask him as they flew together and felt a bit disappointed. Her adventures with Kairak in the caves had made her feel special, so she had planned to surprise him. She couldn't let him be the only one planning dates and giving gifts, and hoped that she had enough of a grip on her powers for her plan to work. 

When they kicked off from the ground it shook a bit. Kairaks small dragon form followed her up the mountain and towards the waterfall along the edge of the valley. Her leather wings veered her abruptly towards a rocky outcrop just above the waterfall. Its foamy top was visible and the calming sound of running water over the staircase of rock echoed incessantly. Reana unloaded a basket from her pack and proudly told Kairak that they were going to eat dinner up here and watch the sunset.

Kairak noticed that she seemed nervous as the sun fell and fell. They had moved close together as time wore on and he was waiting for the surprise Reana had promised. She had said that sunset seemed like the right time to do what she wanted, and he wondered if it was some human ceremony. 

A blazing sunset rose above the valley and the waterfalls edge was covered in uncanny red light. Reana glanced at her hand and Kairaks hand. There was a simple marriage band on each of their fingers. She breathed and took his hand in hers, one touching his palm and the other on the top of his hand. After telling Kairak not to move and feeling him go completely still she slipped his wedding band off his finger. Her palm glowed and a blue light cut through the ruby red background. Reanas Riyenas mark stood out sharply on the top of her hand and, curiously, a spark snapped from it. A delicate filigree in the shape of a ring appeared under Reanas metal band. She removed her hands from Kairaks and a matching mark gleamed on his hand where his ring should have been.

His mouth dropped a little. She told him that, if she had used the fire right, the mark made it just as easy for her to find him as it was for him to find her. After sliding off her own metal band Kairak grabbed her hand, splayed the fingers and compared it to his. She was unprepared for his kiss and knew her surprise had gone over well. A rough nip on her lip made her wonder if it had gone over too well. A shaking breath, not unlike a hiss, slid through his teeth. 

He picked her up and flew off, leaving her brand new glider in the dust, and soon landed behind their home. Reana stepped off his back, intending to go inside quickly, before noticing that Kairak was standing beside something. A pond. One that hadn't been there before, and looked perfectly normal. Kairak disappeared and returned just as quickly with what must have been his mysterious item. He didn't say a word and looked at his new ring one more time before taking out the item, a multifaceted piece of oddly shaped glass. She barely had a chance to look at it before he threw it unceremoniously into the pond.

Rightly confused, Reana walked up to the pond as it started to gleam like a fresh sheet of ice. Kairak knelt on the ground next to the pond. She joined him and asked him what the glass did. He raised her newly marked hand, stroked it, and then pressed it against the pond. The surface filled with the image of the forest and villages outside of the valley. She willed the scrying surface far away and saw her sleepy village, then the blazing towers of the capital city and finally the endless white north. She looked at the flat images, which moved in real time, so longingly and desperately that it was as if she were starved for the outdoors. The surface rippled for a moment as she wondered why. As she struggled to understand Kairaks shaking reflection turned into one of guilt.

 

She looked in again and started crying, probably because it was beautiful.


	13. Snakes on a Train

A first class train ran smoothly over a verdant landscape. Through a clear glass window a smoothly dressed steward was visible. Two neatly dressed stewardesses trailed behind him. The steward directed his little parade sternly to the most luxurious rooms inside the metal hotel. A famous scientist suffering from claustrophobic fits was silenced under the soothing tones of his two apprentices. He appraised their work. They had masterfully slowed his breathing and had him relaxed enough to go to sleep within minutes, with their words alone. The first nervous breath the steward had taken in several years escaped him. The two apprentices gasped. He then told the girls that he was very proud of them and from this day they would be serving the very highest of guests from now on. Both of them had tears in their eyes and held one another, since now on they would work alone without support. The steward straightened his back and his ever so softened expression returned to normal. The two stepped in front of the steward for the first time and walked into the largest train cabin to serve two guests: the royal Imugi: Karin and Mugi. 

Karins raised eyebrow entertained Mugi to no end, so he purposefully kept asking the stewardesses to do different things for them. The one in grey, assigned to Karin, tirelessly hemmed all of Karins gowns at his request. She then listed off the cities finest tailors in case the lady wished to shop after her arrival. Mugi threw a curveball. He asked the grey server to explain courtly dance to Karin. The server, without a single sign of derision or exasperation, took on the male role and literally taught an in house lesson step by step while using the green servant, assigned to Mugi, as the female dance example. After this the green servant resumed her task of polishing the spiked armor attached to Mugis arm. Both of Karins eyebrows had risen at this point. The two were dismissed and dispersed like ghosts, but not before leaving a tray of h'orderves. 

Karin stared blankly at a giggling Mugi before finally relaxing her stiff back. The change was hard to accept. In the new democracy she was a high ranker and before, a simple 10 years ago, those same servants would be tasked with kicking them off this fancy trash can. She undid her unnecessarily adorned hair bun and let her hair drape to the floor. Mugi put his armor away. The two stared at each other silently across the room and processed the unnecessary amount of gold filigree in it. Karin was truly glad to be attending trade talks tonight. There would be no more shady deals with corrupt, inbred noble families. Now, every official was on a tight leash and got their work done under pain of potentially dead political career. This also guaranteed that the prejudice the imugi delegation faced was swept aside. The money they brought in swept aside generations of noble disdain. 

Karin chuckled and Mugi smiled. How had their lives ever become so perfect. Karin contemplated the hardest issue of tonight. How to deal with the new generation of politicians and the wealthy. Despite the end of nobility a higher class still existed and Karin wished to remain peaceful with them from a young age. The imugis long lifespan meant she had to do this. Her hands swished through an improperly appropriated list of names. The names of children who would be useful allies in the future. Her eyes were always drawn to a few. Some older humans had not benefited her yet as well. The silent scientist, Ras Forte, always rejected her contracts and the former royal family rejected her every advance. These two sources of scientific invention and influence always escaped her. Her only chance was now.

The two stewardesses escorted the snakes to a brightly lit trade building and left quickly, leaving the wealthy to their secretive work. Everyone was comfortably and classically dressed. Humans from families who had hunted Karins brothers and sisters greeted her as a friend and tried discussing the movement of goods right away, just the way she liked them to talk. She ignored them with a silent smile and searched for her ticket to private talks with the two sources who evaded her. Over there was a group of geniuses. Over here was a group of the well bred. In the middle of the room young, cunning debutantes with the candy colored hair many humans had greeted every guest. The confounded little girl must be hiding. Karins hackles rose. Mugi brought over some cocktails and sat her down with him at a lacy tea table. He discussed how they could take advantage of the different classes in the democracy to take her mind of of the fact that her mysterious prey had escaped. She drank her drink in one invisibly fast swig, and only fellow strong dragon knights approached the two from then on. Mugi nervously pointed upward.

Karin looked up with him and saw an inaccessible balcony. There she was. A tiny helpless toddler, either five or six years old. The last young remnant of the royal line who lived in the same compound as the very blase Ras who saw fit to ignore her. Elise, the countries daughter, would not be associating with simple business folk. Her fluffy blond hair matched her fluffy gold dress and she waved at the crowd below from behind gold bars. It was impossible for Karin to befriend the child, in order to use her for future benefit, from this literal distance.

Different classes within the democracy indeed.


End file.
